Tagged

So...I've been tagged by my lifelong BFF, Brittney, and I decided to accept the challenge...to TELL THE TRUTH and give you 10 facts about me that you probably didn't know before.

The rules are as follows...

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were tagged.
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

I was tagged to do something similar to this in August 2007, so I'm trying not to repeat these 8 things I already posted, which makes this extra HARD! Anyway, here are my 10 things...act surprised even if you're not.

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1. I was in a wreck my senior year of college that was bad enough for my life to flash before my eyes. I can remember my Jeep flipping end over end 2 1/2 times on the Winters Freeway in Abilene, and the whole time it was like slow motion. I actually had time to think to myself, "Wow...this is what flipping a car feels like...I wonder if this is how I'll die...I hope this doesn't hurt..." CRAZY! I had gotten engaged a month or so before, and the only "injury" I had was that my new diamond ring cut my pinkie. When I was trying to figure out how to get out of my car because it was upside down, 3 construction worker type guys in white t-shirts, driving an old Chevy truck, came and pulled me out the back window and I never saw them again. This picture isn't of my car, but it's as close as I could find to what mine looked like...my wreck happened before I had a digital camera!

2. I would love to take a vacation by myself. I don't know why I would want to, but I think I would enjoy it! Now, I can't muster up the courage to go to a movie alone, or to sit alone at a restaurant, but for some reason I have a fantasy of taking off and driving to Maine or someplace like that. So, if I go AWOL, you'll know where I am.

3. I suffer from shoe-aholicism. I'm MUCH better than I used to be, but my guilty pleasure is still shoes. When Ryan was deployed the first time, I bought close to 50 pair of shoes in a 6 month period. I then sold half of them in a garage sale or gave them to friends because I realized I didn't really even like them that much and I felt guilty. I just loved buying them. I would actually tell myself that I could NOT buy any shoes when I'd go out shopping, but I would miraculously come home with 3 pair. I see now that it was a bigger problem at the time than I realized, but I guess being addicted to shoes in order to cope with Ryan being gone was better than being addicted to something that would've hurt me. At least this only hurt our bank account. Oops! (But aren't these to die for?!)
4. I was pulled over 9 times before I ever got a ticket. And one of those times included a female cop, which I heard was impossible to get out of! I think I only cried 3 of those times, so that's pretty impressive I guess. When I finally did get a ticket, I was going 20 over in a school zone, so it was a whopper.

5. I went 2 years without reading a single book. I feel dumber for just having said that. I really hated to read for the longest time, but just recently I've found a love for it, and I can't stop! Whether you are a sports fan or not, you must read Josh Hamilton's biography "Beyond Belief". It is incredible.

6. Speaking of sports, I have turned into such a guy about sports. I faithfully keep up with NFL & college football, major league baseball, golf, and even a little basketball. The sports page is one of the first things I check online everyday. I really want to play fantasy football next season, but I'm intimidated by it being such a male-dominated past time.

7. My typical bedtime, when Ryan is gone, is 2:00 am. I have always been a night owl, and I used to try to fight it, but now I've learned to embrace it. I get so much accomplished in the wee hours of the morning. When I write music, what could take me a week of afternoons to do, only takes me about 4 hours at night. It's when I'm the most creative and productive!

8. I really really really hate roller coasters. I love heights, and getting dizzy, and going fast though...I could do those kinds of rides forever. I just can't stand any ride that goes "tick-tick-tick-tick" as you slowly climb this huge hill only to drop down the other side and lose your lunch. I once got sick (yes, actually "got sick") in LINE for the Texas Giant just by watching the people go down the big drop. It was so embarrassing. And I had waited in line for 2 hours by that point.

9. I go through Sonic every morning before work and sometimes on weekends and get a large Diet Cherry Coke (I guess that actually totals about 3 regular drinks, huh?) Anyway, that's the only Coke I drink all day. I used to have a constant supply, then cut down to 2, and have just achieved the impossible...one a day. That means that in a typical month, I spend about $40 on Sonic drinks. Hmmm...maybe I should save that and buy a pair of shoes! Just kidding.
10. Once cell phones became every one's main means of communication, we all quit memorizing phone numbers, right? Not me. I still like to type numbers in myself just to see if I can remember them. I still have everyone saved in my cute pink phone just in case I forget, but I prefer to keep my numbers stored in my head.

Now it's your turn...and you better all do it!

Kelby-because I know I can count on you to say something either hilarious or inappropriate--both of which are things I love about you!

Robin-for the same reason I tagged Kelby...plus I can show off my godson.

Jenn-because you're a fairly new blogger and everyone needs to check out how precious your new daughter is.

Mize Family-because I'm always amazed at how your family of 6 keeps it together!

Thompson-because I think I know a lot about you and I want you to see if you can surprise me.

Kristy-because you're random like me, and I think you'll have funny stuff to say.

Melodie-because your blog tells such an amazing story over the past year.

Fun-filled Holidays

Our Christmas break was packed full this year, but so much fun. We got to spend time with just about all of our family at some point or another, and had a little time to relax too. Ryan got to be home the whole time, so that made the holidays even better.

We started off the holidays by getting together with some college friends for dinner. Our friends Jeff& Kristy Skains flew in from California, so it was a great reason to make plans! It was at a college Christmas party at my house last year that I met their first daughter, Aubrey, and they let me announce that they were pregnant with their second, Adalyn, so I got to meet her this time around!

On Tuesday of Christmas week, my parents came into town and we celebrated with my Grandma by going to her favorite Mexican food restaurant. This picture doesn't even do it justice, but you can kindof tell how ridiculously gawdy their Christmas decorations are. What's funny is that they keep them up all year, so if you ever need to get into the Christmas spirit in August, go to Campo Verde in Arlington.

On Christmas Eve, I had to play for the service at our church, so my parents graciously gave up going to the Christmas Eve service in Abilene that they never miss. It was fun to have everyone together, and I got to play hostess, which I love. One of my favorite moments during the Christmas season is singing "Silent Night" at the candlelight service. Can't beat it.

Christmas day was really relaxing. We held off on opening presents until Brad & Kendall could come over, so we had a late lunch that I REALLY regret not taking pictures of. I think it could've been pictured on Food Network if I do say so myself. Our menu consisted of Rosemary Apricot Glazed Roast Chicken, Asparagus Amandine, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Squash Corn Casserole, Rolls, Fruit Salad, Chocolate Layered Dessert (aka: "Better Than Sex Pie"), and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. SO GOOD!! And, I think it was the first meal that I managed to pull off without any stress or major disasters, so all in all, it was a success. Once Brad & Kendall came over, we did our stockings, which always starts with Jack going absolutely nuts. He has been waiting since November to tear into that stocking, so I'm glad it was worth it.

Harley was scared of Christmas as usual, and let Jack play with everything in her stocking while she took yet another nap.

Brad was sitting by me, unfortunately for him, so I got plenty of pictures of him acting like a dork. Sorry, Brad. If you didn't catch it, those are UT pacifiers he's holding up because my little brother is going to be a DAD in July!

I was so excited for Ryan to open this gift because I knew he would be surprised. It's a panoramic picture of Texas Stadium, which may not mean much to most people, but it means a lot to a die hard Cowboys fan like Ryan. The picture is of Aikman's last game in 2000, and it's out of print now, so I was thrilled to find it. And, it'll be cool to tell our kids that their Dad played football on that field during high school.

After my family left, Ryan and I drove to East Texas to see his family. We had dinner at his grandparents' house on Friday night, hung out with his uncle on Saturday, went to visit his sister's family on Saturday night, then went to Athens to see his other grandmother and aunt on Sunday. WHEW!! It was a whirlwind, but something about East Texas is relaxing, so it didn't seem that busy. Jack LOVES the freedom he gets when we go to the country because he can run forever without a leash. Doesn't he look happy?!?

Here's Ryan with his precious Mama Lee. She is maybe the sweetest person I know. She's about to turn 90 and is recovering from her second broken hip, but she still walks down to the lake with us like a champ.

This is our land on Lake Athens where we dream about the lake house we'll eventually have one day. If I ever need to de-stress, that's the place to do it.

When we got back from East Texas we still hadn't had Christmas with Ryan's parents, so we headed out that way on Monday. Why didn't we take any pictures?!

After all of our traveling, we enjoyed New Year's Eve with some neighborhood friends, and spent New Year's Day taking down Christmas decorations and relaxing. I finished up the holidays with a trip to Abilene...wouldn't be complete without it.

So, I guess it's back to the real world now. I should probably make one of my New Year's Resolutions to be a better blogger, but I'd probably break it by next week!